I want a pet : Adoption Success Stories
Submit your happy ending story to humane@seattlehumane.org! You may see it on this page or published in our quarterly magazine, Chronicles!
Tulip
Tulip, a 10-year-old American Eskimo, was in pain and had two strikes against her: her age and a painful broken leg. Age or a serious injury is a death sentence in many shelters, so our rescue partners called and asked us to take her knowing she could get the medical care she needed at the Seattle Humane Society and that we would give her as long as it took to find her a home of her own.
Tulip's leg was so badly broken that it had to be amputated. Our veterinarians performed the surgery. After she recovered, Tulip attended Tuxes & Tails 2008 to the delight of the crowd. Today, Tulip is in a home of her own in Auburn where she is giving and receiving love and attention.
Chrissy 
Chrissy, a 10-year-old long hair tabby cat, was surrendered to the Seattle Humane Society when her family fell on hard times and could no longer care for her. They brought her to us because they know that we do place older pets and that we give them as long as it takes for us to find them a good home.
Chrissy was accustomed to a quiet life and found the shelter a little overwhelming. Our staff noticed that she was hiding and acting shy so they arranged for her to have some home care with one of our foster volunteers.
Chrissy bloomed in the home of Melissa, the foster volunteer. In fact, Melissa, quickly fell in love with this sweet girl and decided to make her a permanent member of the family. Today, Chrissy continues to give and receive a steady supply of love and affection from Melissa.
Elmo
Elmo, an 18-month-old Pit Bull Terrier, was transferred to the Seattle Humane Society from an abusive home. Facing civil charges, the abuser was scheduled for trial. We agreed to care for Elmo during the trial, which lasted for five months.
High energy dogs like Elmo have a hard time being kenneled for long periods, so our staff often shared their offices with Elmo and coordinated for a volunteer to take Elmo to Tiger Mountain for weekly hikes. Additionally, our behavior program staff and volunteers worked with Elmo to help him heal from his traumatic past.
As soon as the trial ended, we placed Elmo into one of our amazing volunteer foster homes. Almost a year later, we were able to match Elmo with the perfect family for him. Now Elmo is enjoying his new life with Aaron, Brie, his canine sister, Chloe, and two cats. Elmo touched many hearts while in our care, and we are thrilled to see him so happy!
Elmo Update!
In September of 2008, Elmo received a wonderful tribute: a trail named in his honor on the grounds of the Seattle Humane Society. The "Elmo Trail" was constructed by Andy Dougherty of Troop 420 in Bothell for his Eagle Scout service project.
Andy approached the shelter with an interest in helping and was eager to make the Elmo Trail a reality. The beloved Pit Bull Terrier was on hand with his family to celebrate the official dedication of the trail on Dec. 6, 2008. Cris Cartledge, a caring foster volunteer who had worked extensively with Elmo, was also present to mark the occasion. Not only is the Elmo Trail a heartfelt testament to a very special dog, it's also a popular place for canine shelter guests to take walks.
Baby & Cashew 
After a fire destroyed Baby and Cashew's home, the terrified cats hid for days. Once they emerged from hiding, Baby and Cashew still faced a significant hurdle: pets were not permitted in the temperary housing where their guardian was staying.
Fortunately, the Seattle Humane Society has a partnership with the American Red Cross to provide care for companion animals when families loose their housing due to an emergency. This program allowed Baby and Cashew to receive care, love, and a safe place to stay through the Seattle Humane Society's emergency foster program. In the end, these two charming cats were reunited with their family where they remain, healthy and happy at home.
Banana
Banana, a 9-year old Labrador Retriever, was on death row at a municipal shelter. Banana was missing most of the fur on her back, but that didn't hide the sparkle in her eyes. Our staff rescued this sweet and gentle senior and brought her to the Seattle Humane Society where we gave her the care she needed until we could find her a home of her own.
Our veterinarians checked Banana over from head to toe. As with most older animals, she had blood tests to make sure her internal systems were in good shape. Banana was given medication and special prescription food to treat her itchy skin condition. She was then placed in one of our fabulous volunteer foster homes, where she was given the attention she deserved while we looked for her perfect family.
Banana patiently waited and thrived for six months until we discovered Carolyn, who promptly fell in love with her. According to Carolyn, "She has been a real joy to me and I couldn't ask for a better pet."
George 
This handsome 14-year old gray and white tabby was surrendered to the Seattle Humane Society when his family had to move. At many shelters, George's advanced age would have been a death sentance, but our staff recognized his potential and knew this playful fellow deserved a second chance at life.
After meeting George, Melissa Remirez De Estenoz agreed. She had come to the Seattle Humane Society in search of a loving companion for her 85-year old mother, Sheila, who has Alzheimer's Disease.
"I'm adopting George for my mom, because she needs someone to love," said Melissa. "She just lost my father, and George reminds me of him... a stoic architect who was quiet," and quite the opposite of her talkative mother.
Research shows that seniors do better when they have a pet. They tend to eat more regularly because they remember to feed the pet, and they also get more exercise when caring for an animal.
Rocky
When 8-month old Rocky arrived at our shelter he was frightened and exhibited behaviors that once would have meant euthanasia. He had been kept in a yard with little contact with people and may have been underfed. He exhibited serious "food frenzy" and lunged at staff trying to feed him when he first arrived at the shelter.
Emily, our behavior program manager, fostered Rocky and developed a behavior modification program for him. Under her care, love and consistent guidance Rocky made rapid progress. He started eating more calmly, and learned to sit and stay. Rocky went to Puppy Next Step class at the shelter, and soon after, we found him a home of his own. We helped Rocky's new guardians understand how to use training techniques he was familiar with, and we offered ongoing support.
Adoption wasn't the end of our commitment to Rocky and foster care is just one part of this new program. We're working with dogs with specific behaviors, creating informational handouts and providing special adoption counseling; all designed to meet the dog's needs.
Bentley
Bentley came to us in pain. The cataracts in his eyes were so bad that immediate surgery was neccessary to save his life. After our vet team performed the operation, Bentley, a handsome six year old tiger cat, recuperated in a foster home and began to adjust to life without sight.
Saving Bentley was truly a team effort - our veterinarians performed the surgery, a dedicated foster volunteer provided care during his recovery, and our adoptions staff worked hard to find him a loving home.
Bentley's new guardian is now giving him all the affection this special cat deserves. Even though he no longer has eyes, Bentley never lost his capacity to love and be loved in return!